Halloween 2010: Orange Lantern

Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2010
Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2010
Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2010
Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2010

This costume is inspired by paper lanterns and by radial symmetry in nature (like sea anemones and jellyfish). Other inspiration included the color of Japanese lacquer, Japanese ghost stories (especially those about “kasa-obake” the umbrella ghost), and the film “Dreams” (directed Akira Kurasawa). People often see my costumes as robotic, but I think of them as organic and belonging to nature.

MATERIALS:
Free of charge: 5 FedEx shipping tubes (free). Bought: two cans of Montana Gold red/orange spray paint ($15), two packs of sticky back Velcro ($9). Already owned: black turtleneck, black jeans, black Fessura shoes, black costume gloves, ruler, X-acto blades, gaffer’s tape, scissors.